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Railroad Commission of Texas


Our mission is to serve Texas by our stewardship of natural resources and the environment, our concern for personal and community safety, and our support of enhanced development and economic vitality for the benefit of Texans.

RRC EVENTS

Register Using CERTS, the Event Registration System

Individuals registering for RRC alternative fuel training, continuing education and exam events will now register using the  Certification Exam Registration & Training System or CERTS. The online system allows individuals working in alternative fuels industries to register and pay for a class and/or exam in a single transaction..



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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTION

Who Regulates Railroads in Texas?

The Railroad Commission of Texas no longer has any jurisdiction or authority over railroads in Texas, a duty which was transferred to other agencies, with the last of the rail functions transferred to the Texas Department of Transportation in 2005 ...


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Recent News

RRC Works with National Experts on Underground Injection

Railroad Commission geologists and engineers will work with environmental experts from other states to analyze an important agency program that protects underground sources of drinking water.   

The RRC has requested the Groundwater Protection Council (GWPC), a respected organization of national groundwater experts, conduct an independent peer review of its Class II Underground Injection Control (UIC) program. 

Class II injection wells are used for oil and gas operations such as enhanced oil recovery, disposal of produced water (produced water is water that comes out of a well during oil and gas production), and underground hydrocarbon storage.

The GWPC is comprised of more than 30 ground water and environmental regulatory agencies in states spanning coast to coast.  The GWPC conducts peer reviews of a state’s program at the request of that state; UIC programs in California, Kansas and New Mexico have been recently reviewed. The RRC has been a member of the GWPC since its inception in 1983.

The GWPC’s peer reviews include, but are not limited to, an evaluation of the state’s rules, permit application workflows, permit review criteria, protection of underground drinking water, well inspection practices, program funding, and data management.

The RRC’s UIC program has been commended by federal regulators in recent years. The Environmental Protection Agency’s annual evaluations have highlighted RRC’s strong oversight of injection wells in protecting underground sources of drinking water and our continuing efforts to mitigate seismicity in Texas.

“The RRC has had success stories with our UIC program which began in 1982,” said Paul Dubois, RRC Assistant Director of the Oil and Gas Division. “One example is the significant steps we took to help mitigate earthquakes in West Texas by setting injection limits for produced water disposal. We even leveraged artificial intelligence for that work. It’s always good to have a new set of eyes on our mission, and having other states’ experts review our program will help further strengthen our important work.”

GWPC peer reviews are in-depth, and the Texas UIC peer review could take between six months to a year to complete.

                                                                                       

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